National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3060
To Whom It May Concern,
I have been thinking a great deal about the impact these proposed NDIS changes will have, not only on me but on my whole family.
I live with disability and rely on my NDIS supports to help me maintain both my physical and mental wellbeing. The loss of services such as chiropractic care and the inability to access hydrotherapy through my local community have already had a significant impact. Although hydrotherapy is recommended, my town does not have a pool. The nearest hydrotherapy pool comes with significant personal costs, and there is no dignified way for me to access the main public pool. Accessibility should allow people with disability to enter community facilities with the same dignity as everyone else, not make them feel different before they even get into the water.
One support that is often overlooked is respite. For me, respite is not a luxury. It gives me the opportunity to clear my head, rebuild my mental strength and keep moving forward. Without respite, I would never have had the confidence to enrol at university or believe that work could one day be a possibility. Those breaks have helped me continue studying and work towards a future that once felt completely out of reach.
These changes also place enormous pressure on families. In our case, our support network is simply Mum, Dad and our two adult children. We do not have extended family nearby or friendship circles that we can rely on for support. When formal supports are reduced, there is nowhere else for that responsibility to go except onto family members who are already managing their own disabilities and health challenges.
My husband is my full-time carer. He supports me and our adult children every day while also managing his own compromised health. Like many family carers, he carries an enormous responsibility that often goes unseen. If respite and supports continue to be reduced, the pressure placed on him will only increase.
We also live in a rural area, and I am unable to drive. Every medical appointment, therapy session, university commitment, and community activity depends on someone else transporting me. Accessing services is not as simple as making an appointment; it requires travel, time, and additional expense.
Disability affects more than one person in our household. My son and I both have Fragile X syndrome, and my son also has Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 2 and ADHD. My 22-year-old daughter has Fragile X syndrome, Autism and ADHD. Our family’s support needs are interconnected, meaning changes to one person’s supports often affect everyone else in the household.
It has taken many years of patience, encouragement and the right supports for my daughter to begin engaging with her community. Community access is not simply about going out. It builds confidence, reduces isolation, develops social skills, and gives her
National Disability Insurance Scheme Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026
Submission 3060
opportunities to participate in life. Removing those supports risks undoing years of progress and could leave her isolated once again, just as she is finally beginning to connect with the community.
For me, community access and respite have also been essential in supporting my own mental wellbeing. They have helped me remain engaged with society instead of becoming isolated by disability. They have also given me the confidence to pursue higher education, something I never believed would be possible.
One of my greatest concerns is that I no longer feel confident asking for changes to my own NDIS plan or those of my children, even when our needs change. I worry that requesting a review could place our existing supports at risk. Living with that uncertainty creates ongoing stress and makes it difficult to plan for the future. If these proposed changes proceed, that fear will only increase.
I also worry about the broader impact these changes may have on our communities. If people with disability lose access to supports that help keep their physical and mental wellbeing, many may experience a decline in their health. When preventative supports are reduced, people often have little choice but to seek help through GPs, hospitals, emergency departments, and other health services. This has the potential to place added pressure on an already stretched healthcare system and the healthcare professionals working within it.
Supports such as respite, community participation, hydrotherapy, and other therapies are not simply services—they help people keep their health, independence, and quality of life. Supporting people earlier may reduce the need for more intensive health interventions later.
I understand the importance of ensuring NDIS funding is accessed responsibly. However, I ask decision-makers to also consider the long-term human cost of reducing supports that help people remain healthy, connected, educated, and engaged in their communities. Preventing isolation, supporting carers, and enabling people with disability to pursue education, employment and community participation is an investment, not an expense.
The goal of the NDIS should not simply be to keep people alive. It should be to give people with disability the opportunity to live meaningful lives with dignity, purpose, and hope. The right supports do not create dependence—they create opportunity. I know this because I am living it.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my lived experience and the experiences of families like mine.
Yours sincerely,